Fraud

[Rob]

Always check your monthly statements. This is far from a problem that only happens when you travel. Read the quote below!

From Nova on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/te...dentity-theft/

"Last month, online security expert Brian Krebs revealed that an underground identity theft service which illegally sold Social Security numbers had obtained much of its data by conning Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, into selling it to them. “Secured databases are a much more concentrated target,” says Cormac Herley, a security expert with Microsoft Research. “Thieves are not going after one identity but thousands or millions of them.”

This is simply something we all need to remember and deal with cash-less payments. I would have said "plastic money" but I have been corrected last time I wrote that - the Canadians already have plastic money/cash.... Go Canucks!

[wha gwan]

My (limited) understanding is that RFID is outdated technology and credit cards are using "smart cards" or contactless payment security...

http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pub...t-security-qa/

[craigandjen]

My (limited) understanding is that RFID is outdated technology and credit cards are using "smart cards" or contactless payment security...

http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pub...t-security-qa/

Actually RFID has been around since World War 2. It has many very useful applications such as inventory control, toll collection, farm animal tracking and many medical equipment applications. Other technologies are being looked at but RFID is still widely used in our bank cards and credit cards. In recent years it has been used for alzheimer's patience (implanted chip under the skin). Any kind of technology that can be scanned will eventually be hacked in some way or another. It really only takes a matter of time. I still prefer to use cash, even for large purchases.

Sorry, probably more than anyone really wants to know

[halfwaytree]

I use my Mastercard all the time at home. I never had a problem until a few months ago when my bank called and told me to destroy my card and they will send me a new one. I guess they were monitoring my card and saw where there was security issues (may have been the Home Depot thing).

Anyway, in Jamaica I avoid using it. I take it as a backup method of payiing for emergencies only.

I'm with Biggs, I take a small amount of cash but mostly I take travellers checks.

I had my room broken into while on holiday a few years back while in Hawaii. They took a few hundred dollars worth of travellers checks. I called the police, they came and made a report. I took a copy of thee report to the bank and within about two hours of finding out that someone broke into my room I had all my money back.

[billndonna]

We use cash for most everything but i have used my credit card for paying off our incedentals bill,(the bar bill was far from incidental after 5 nights), at Catcha Falling Star and not had any problems at all.I think there are probably a few safe places where i would not be afraid to use it such as Catcha and Seastar to name a couple.Someone tried to use my card overseas one year and Capitol one caught it and canceled the card immediately and we had never left home at that time so fraud happens every place.